53-YO Cup Rookie Dissects the Biggest Challenges of NASCAR’s Bowman Gray Overhaul

The Bowman Gray Stadium is often referred to as ‘The Madhouse’ and we believe it is for all the right reasons! For the Cook Out Clash, this is the first time that Tim Brown, a Bowman Gray veteran, will be taking to the field in a Cup car. Although there are some changes to the track that have acted as a deterrent and added more to the complexity. 

Tim Brown has accounted for 12 modified championships at the Winston-Salem stadium and hence knows the track quite well. Here’s what the 53-year-old Cup Series debutant had to say about the changes to the track and the complexity it adds. 

Tim Brown feels Cup Series cars could be tricky to handle

For the last 30 years, Tim Brown has extensively practiced and raced at the Bowman Gray. The unique feature of this track is the narrow passages which cause flaring tempers leading to hands being thrown on many occasions. Brown himself admitted he has been in “ten” fights and won “all of them”. You will often see that it is the high-pressure environment that tends to make drivers more prone to blowouts and accidents. The Bowman Gray Stadium is as notorious as the reputation and this is what makes even seasoned drivers contemplate the challenges they are facing navigating through the drive. 

Referring to the SAFER barriers replacing the old guardrails, Tim Brown said, “So the walls did change the view of the racetrack from what I am used to seeing for so many years, it’s beautiful out there, but it does change the way you see the race track as you’re driving”. However, he also recognized that it is the changes in the tracks that could act as a major deterrent for the feel of the track. Especially, when you add the complex dynamic of running through in a Cup car, the challenge gets more interesting.

Cup cars usually require much more grip and adding it to the challenging angles of the short-track has added to the driver’s perils. Citing the same, Tim Brown added, “It does change the way you see the racetrack. I think it’s gonna be even more unique with a Cup car, with a full body and a full windshield”. 

Moving from a modified car to a full-body Cup car introduces a whole new set of challenges. “It was unique learning to adapt to that this morning in modified practice,” the driver shared. He expects those differences to be even more pronounced when racing a Cup car. This one tends to have a more enclosed cockpit, a different sightline, and a heavier frame. These factors will make maneuvering through Bowman Gray’s tight ridges much more riskier. The Bowman Gray expert also mentioned that when he first looked at the track, it did look like there was something different with the tracks, but not for the modified cars. He said, “The biggest difference is just visually. As far as the track groove, I think it’s basically the same—at least for the modified cars.” 

With more than 100 wins and a remarkable 12-track championships, Tim Brown stands as the most successful driver in Bowman Gray Stadium’s history. His dominance is further solidified by a blistering 12.965-second lap in a modified, a track record that has remained untouched since 2016. However, if he is facing challenges even after knowing the track so well, it could act as a major setback for any driver. 

Brown says that the weather could be a major deterrent 

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Tim Brown recently opened up about how cold weather on the day of the race could make it more challenging for the driver than it already is. Speaking of the same in a conversation with Cup Scene, Brown said, “Man, I’m hoping it’s gonna be a really good race. The fear that I have is the cold”. 

He further added, “If it’s really, really cold – like 3o degrees and the track is cold and the tires are cold – that we’ll be slipping and sliding quite a bit. Racing at the stadium is hard. I think it’s gonna be more difficult than even racing at the Coliseum in L.A., just because of the asphalt difference and the weather, the temperature difference, but it’s gonna be the same for everybody.” Brown also pointed out that the inside lane would likely be the preferred racing line for him.

North Carolina is significantly colder than L. A at this time of the year, so Brown is spot on when it comes to the weather playing a huge role. Sliding around on these tracks would not only make the race tough on you, but given the width of the track, you are likely to take a few drivers as collateral damage too.

Given the kind of experience that Brown has on the field, one could easily take this as a fruitful piece of advice. He also stressed the importance of a well-balanced car through the turns and strong acceleration off the corners to stay competitive. This has been a dream for Tim Brown all his life and given the experience, it is expected that he would leave no stone unturned to claim the checkered flag. What are your expectations from Tim Brown on his Cup Series debut?